Brian Connell National Forestry Spokesman

05 March 2003

Hodgson stinks over Carbon sinks!

Pete Hodgson has delivered yet another a slap in the face to the New Zealand Forestry industry, according to National Party Forestry spokesman Brian Connell.

His comments follow an announcement that two wind-farms would be given 'Carbon credits' to ensure they are economically viable.

"Here we have a situation where the Government is giving away carbon credits to a scheme which is not economically viable and which has not helped our Kyoto situation in any way whatsoever," Mr Connell explained.

"To make matters worse, the Government's generosity is only made possible by an earlier act of theft.

"New Zealand forests generated approximately $1.5 billion dollars worth of Carbon credits, of which roughly half was produced by private forestry holdings," says Mr Connell.

"These credits have now been stolen from the forestry companies which generated them.

"At the time, the Government excused this act of nationalised theft by saying the credits are allocated to Governments and not private companies.

"Pete Hodgson should be consistent!

"If the credits can be given to private companies, then let's give them to the companies who actually earned them," Mr Connell says.

"Stripping these companies of their own resources at a time when the New Zealand wood industries are facing an infrastructure crisis requiring huge reinvestment is nothing short of irresponsible," Mr Connell says.

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